Nice Weather for Ducks

The rain has come back again--this morning I woke up to more heavy storm clouds that began their drizzle as I arrived at the school:


Yesterday, I woke up at about 11:30 and went to have a meeting with Sheldon at 12:45 about our presentation--Nathan and I are going to do ours on Operation Cast Lead.  After our meeting, Sheldon pulled me aside for a second to apologize to me about his snubbing a comment I made last class.  He told me that I said I wasn't sure whether Janjaweed forces (in the Darfur region of Sudan) would have the spine to fight American troops if they were sent in--I'm fairly certain I didn't say this, because I do think they would, so I told him that I appreciated it, although I didn't remember saying it.  Then he said that the point he was trying to get at was that he really appreciated my presence in class and how often I got to the heart of the matter.  That sort of thing always makes you feel like the shit, you know?

After, we had a גרעין צדק meeting that had a disappointing turnout.  Frankly, the way people have been treating the entire idea frustrates me.  A lot of Year Coursers, I think, just see the Garin as a way to go on special extra trips and potentially to switch out of volunteering that they don't like.  They expect it to be all set up for them, and for them to be involved with no effort.  I don't think people understand that it's something extra they choose to do, not just something to join "סתם", "just cause."  I want people to be more serious about it--you decide your level of involvement.

Anywho, then we had classes, and then Cera and I went to the Mohammed apartment to teach Musa, Talal, and Shaima some English.  We played a card-matching game with them, extended their knowledge of "head, shoulders, knees, and toes," and taught them the hokie-pokie.  We reconvened with Nathan and headed back to Bat Yam, where he and I went to the "18 in Israel" activity, which was just our madrichim talking about what they did in the army or as an alternative.  It was fairly interesting, regardless.  That ended late, so I went on a run real quick and then did nothing in the apartment until I went to sleep.

Last night, for the first time, it was cold enough for me to get under my covers.

Then this morning at the school was the same old stuff--except for working with Adir, the kid who actually cares and struggles a good deal.  That is always refreshing.  It's not the fact that kids have trouble that gets to me, it's that so many of them don't care.

And now I'm about to go to Ulpan.  The temperature outside is like the early whisperings of fall in Kentucky, which I love.  Take care, friends!